Ameh ebute biography of abraham

Evan Enwerem: PDP 8. Chuba Okadigbo: PDP 9. Adolphus Wabara: PDP Ken Nnamani: PDP David Mark: PDP Bokula Saraki: APC As a child, he mastered Hausa The native language of Northern Nigeria. Azikiwe eventually relocated to Onitsha, Nigeria, to stay with his grandmother and auntie, where he learned the Igbo language. He learned the Yoruba language during a visit to Lagos, and at the moment he was in university, he had been introduced to many Nigerian ethnicities.

He knew 3 languages fluently an asset as president. Several years down the line, he left the homeland to study law. From until , he was the opposition leader in the region, but in , he handed over the reins to Adegoke Adelabu. In , he resumed his familiar opposing stance shortly after the death of Adegoke Adelabu. Nwafor Orizu was an Igbo politician and became the senate president of Nigeria from 16 November until 15 January He was royalty by birth.

Orizu was elected as the chief whip in the Eastern House of Assembly after running as an independent candidate for the Onitsha Region. Orizu was named Minister of Local Government by Zik. Orizu was elected President of the Nigerian Senate when the country gained independence on October 1, Joseph Wayas was made Senate president from until He is from Obudu, Cross River state.

Senator Joseph Oqua Ansa served the Calabar senatorial district while he served the Ogoja senatorial district. It was a marvellous job. I never had that type of cash before. When my wives heard, they shouted. Fortunately, I went to Kaduna to defend him, but the report from the Ministry of Justice was that he had no case. That was how I took my bag, suitcase and returned to Makurdi with professional fees.

There was no evidence to pin him down to any particular offence. In , when Obasanjo was the military head of state, he embarked on local government reform and said there should be a direct election of councillors. I stood as a councillor and was elected. At that time you would not spend money to contest any election. In January in , those who were far older than me elected me chairman of Okpokwu Local Government in Benue State because I was the only lawyer among them.

The person that contested against me became my best friend. When I went to Lagos as a senator, I recommended him and he was appointed the chairman of a federal parastatal. How big was the office of a local government chairman, and what influence did they have? The local government chairman was not the accounting officer. We had Mr Ogala, an Igala man who controlled the vault; but we had to make a decision for them to implement.

The problem with the local government system then was the person in office as governor. There was no much money as we have now, but it came from the state government. After paying civil servants we earmarked on projects. But after seven months, I had to resign because of pressure from chiefs, those who wanted to become chiefs, clan heads, district heads and so on.

My legal practice in Makurdi was more appealing and brought much more money than that position. That was why I had to leave after seven months. A few months after my departure, my deputy took over from me, but the local government was dissolved on the ground of corruption. It was a clear vindication for me. Two years after, in , again, it was another story.

There was no joint account because the Constitution had not come into existence. We operated under the Constitution. You are a man of many parts — policeman, lawyer, magistrate and politician — at what point did you go into active politics? That was when I contested as councillor. Because of the way I handled my people at the local government level, in , I wanted to go ahead with academics.

I spent one semester. It was a funny story. He rejected the offer and there was no educated person they could send to Lagos. So before I came back for the Christmas holidays, my nomination was already waiting for me as a candidate. They struggled till I almost completed my campaign. It was abandoned. I spent only one semester. I stood again and won an election into the Senate for the second time.

The position was zoned to the North-Central, but politics came into play.

Ameh ebute biography of abraham

Initially, I did not become the Senate president; somebody else occupied the position, but as God would have it, senators were not happy with him and he was impeached and I took the position before the late General Sani Abacha took over in November My tenure as Senate president was very brief. It was very powerful, except that Babangida did not allow us to perform optimally because there were no-go-areas for legislators.

We were restricted to making laws on certain feats only, not on certain items like finance and so on. Can you highlight your struggles during the Abacha regime and the people that were involved? When I became the Senate president in , we never knew that soldiers had cunningly put up a law that Abacha should become the minister that would take over in case anything happened.

The decree that was made before Babangida stepped aside contained a provision that the most senior minister should take over the government if there was anything. I phoned Abacha, telling him that we wanted to come and see him, but he said we should wait, that he was already coming to Abuja. But six months after, we held a meeting in Lagos.

About 60 of us attended the meeting and took a resolution and issued a communique that Abacha should hand over to Abiola who won a democratic election. Security agents started looking for us. I was arrested from my hotel and taken to Alagbon Close. Six of us were charged to court before Justice Belgore on treasonable felony. Our lawyer, the late J.

K Ajayi, appealed to the Court of Appeal. The present Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, was the president of the Court of Appeal and was the presiding judge of the Lagos section of the court. Our appeal went before him and he granted us bail. That was how we came out. When he was pronouncing the judgment, there were calls from Abuja, but he refused to pick.

I have great respect for that man. He refused to answer any call until he finished pronouncing the ruling and granted us bail. Even before Abacha died, the charges against us were abandoned and no government pursued the treasonable trial against us. In spite of all these, you still took an active interest in party politics when democracy returned in , why?

I contested and lost to David Mark. But I remember I started underground work in I decided to rest my case and went back to practice. It was a travesty of justice. There was no ground for that. The military wanted to continue in government, if not, you would agree with me that the presidential election was the freest in the country. Our own election as members of the National Assembly was also very free.

During the civil war from to , I was in Maiduguri as a policeman. I was later posted to Kaduna as a clerk in the Police Pay Office. Nobody would pray for another civil war in this country except those who did not witness what happened. It was a bad experience. I went to the ABU immediately after the war. What would you say about your appointment as the chairman of the Governing Board of the National Open University of Nigeria?

I became the pro-chancellor and chairman of the university from to It was a well-educative experience in academics. I wrote the letter when I discovered that he was not loyal to his party. He conspired with members of other political parties to become the Senate president. That was not good behaviour. That was why he had no peace until he left the office.

Senators from his party would not allow him to rule. That was the point I disagreed with. In addition to his political career, Ameh Ebute is also an accomplished lawyer. After completing his education in law, he was called to the Nigerian Bar , and over the years, he has built a reputation as a highly respected legal practitioner. His legal practice has focused on various areas of law, including constitutional law, human rights, and corporate law.

Throughout his career, Ebute has been involved in legal advocacy, particularly in matters relating to democratic governance and the rule of law. His legal expertise has made him a valuable asset in both the political and business worlds. Aside from his legal and political careers, Ameh Ebute has ventured into business, particularly in the areas of real estate and agriculture.

Like many Nigerian politicians, Ebute understood the importance of diversifying his sources of income beyond politics. His business interests have been modest compared to some of his contemporaries, but they have provided him with financial stability. Benue State, his home state, is known as the "food basket of the nation" due to its agricultural potential.

Ebute has invested in agribusiness , contributing to the development of local farming communities and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. His involvement in business has not been as publicized as his political career, but it remains a significant part of his overall portfolio. Determining the exact net worth of Nigerian politicians can be difficult due to the lack of transparent financial disclosures.

However, Ameh Ebute is estimated to have accumulated a considerable fortune from his legal practice, political career, and business ventures. While not among the wealthiest politicians in Nigeria, Ebute has maintained a comfortable financial standing, allowing him to live a life of relative luxury while continuing to engage in public service and business.

Ameh Ebute has been known to keep his personal life relatively private. However, it is known that he is a family man with children who have also pursued successful careers. His family has largely stayed out of the public eye, with little information available about their involvement in his political or business activities. This sense of privacy has allowed his family to avoid some of the scrutiny and controversies often associated with public figures in Nigeria.

Despite his demanding political and professional life, Ebute is known to be a devoted husband and father, valuing his family as a source of support throughout his career.